Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Two Questions: Got An Answer?

First, if anyone has any additional information on the story going around about multiple pit road violations at California Speedway in the NEXTEL Cup race, could they please post the link or email me at editor@thedalyplanet.tv? Thanks.

Secondly, did anyone watch the movie "Dale" last night and what did you think of it from a TV perspective? Even though it was played originally in movie theaters, I am told it is formatted like a TV special. I am considering watching it later this week, and I wonder if it is good?

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I thought DALE was well done. It did have a "TV special feel", but that did not put me off. The interviews were excellent. In my opinion, it told Dale Sr's story without over the top fawning or contrived emotion. Dale Sr's life in racing created its own drama. Definitely worth watching.

I bawled my eyes out, which I'm sure is the effect the producers were sorta going for. The interviews w/Jr. were especially poignant. Funny how we saw very little about Kerry Earnhardt. Also a lot of footage w/Theresa and nothing about his first wife. Can't stand Theresa so maybe it's just me; I think he'd be pitching a fit if he saw how she'd been treating Jr.

Saw "Dale" in the theater and felt it would "work" better on TV, primarily because 90% of the material was videotape--old videotape, at that--which didn't look very good when projected on the big screen.

I found the quality a little distracting because of that, so it looks much better on TV, even a big one.

See Jayski's California race page. He has all the lucky dogs listed, as well as the penalties. Looks like mostly pitting before pit road was open for those in accidents. 23 penalties sounds like a lot, but on seeing the list, it doesn't look like too much of an oversight that ESPN didn't mention them. Unless it is speeding or a safety violation (whatever that means - too many men over maybe??), I'd rather ESPN focus on letting us know about the lucky dog and resetting the field during/after pitstops. Let's not overwhelm them. Clearly they need to concentrate on one improvement at a time. ;-)

Although not a Sr. fan (or Jr. for that matter), I found the program to be very well balanced and expertly edited. The choice of Paul Newman as narrator was interesting, he being outside the NASCAR family so to speak. The racing clips, the interviews with family, friends and former crew members and the shots of Dale working his farm all contributed to portraying him as a man passionate about his family and his racing. Well worth watching. Be sure to have a box of tissues handy.

I am sorry I got into racing after the Dale Sr Era as he kept things interesting to say the least. Even though from what I know and have read and seen, I thought his style of driving dirty at times, he had a complex personality.

The other people in the sport had great respect for the man OBVIOUSLY, when the entire crews of pit road stood in line to give him congratulations for the win at the 1998 Daytona. That was an amazing sight and I would've liked to have witnessed that on the TV live.

I thought the movie was well done. I had never seen his mother and siblings interviewed before.

"Dale" was a very personal love letter to the NASCAR legend. It's production style was familiar to anyone who has watched any number of biographies on television. It covered no new ground.

The private side of Dale was revealed to the fans in the months and years following his death through a variety of news and documentary programs. Even the docu-drama "3" exposed more of the quiet passion for his family and friends.

"Dale" showed viewers this, but not much more. Being the only "authorized" biography, it did offer the benefit of interviews with Dale's widow and four children. Most of what they said fans already knew because of the coverage given Dale in the last six years. For Dale's fans, their comments offered a shared feeling of love and loss with the family.

The closest thing to new information was provided by Steve Byrnes. Many may not be aware that they had a friendship dating back to Byrnes' days covering NASCAR for TNN. Both funny and touching, Steve's segments brought even avid fans a little closer to the man.

Even without bringing much new to the viewer, Dale was very much worth watching. How can true NASCAR fans not want to spend some time remembering this iconic figure.

I saw the same thing and wasnt sure if it was my TV, or what. Why would they blur the Simpson logo? I wish they would have shown the final bump where Sterling Marlin turned him into the wall and killed him. Sterling was all over him in the last couple laps and set him up to get turned into the wall. I still blame Sterling and an overjoyed he's no longer driving. I also wanted to see Ken Schrader's reaction as I have heard Darrel Waltrip describe it many times, but never saw it.Kevin in SoCal

This is sort of "TV" related. The "Simpson" logos on his uniform were intentionally blurred almost every time they were in frame. I was wondering if this was the case in the theater release. Yes, and I found it very distracting after a while.

There may have been a riff between Simpson Race Products in the wake of the investigation, but it's a senseless blur-out.

I refused to watch the "Dale" special because it was an MTV production, especially knowing how MTV betrayed racing fans, especially NASCAR in general. Do any of you remember how MTV killed the ASA and how they hampered the World of Outlaws at the Knoxville Nationals?

The DALE movie brought me a sense of closure. Something that has been an open would in my heart for the last six years has finally started to heal. I still HATE watching the crash and really wish the damn TV people would stop that. I have no interest in watching my hero die over and over again. I took my Fiancee to see it in the theater a few weeks ago, She wishes she had been into NASCAR back then but I think she understands the passion I have for the sport and Dale better now. I did prefer that they didn't show the crash in "3", however right after the damn thing ended Sportscenter came on leading with the damn crash footage. I suppose I should have expected then to suck at NASCAR coverage this year considering that. I'm looking forward to getting the DVD and extra footage. I'd really pay for a several DVD set of Dale racing highlights. I could watch his last Talladega race again and again.

Wish I had known ahead of time that before the first showing on CMT they were showing a Brooks and Dunn special about Dale Sr. I have allways enjoyed the B & D video showing Dale playing(?) the guitar. I would have set my DVR to get both of the shows instead of just the movie.

I will be beaten for this in the streets, but guys, LET DALE REST! I love the fact that he was such a great driver, but lets face the fact that he is gone. I think that the best thing to do would be to let him rest and just go with the memories you already have.

It has been six years. Let it go. If you can't then maybe you should get some help.

I don't think you didn't miss anything much with the pre-race show. It was essentially a replay of the last 30 laps at Talladega...mixed in with random country musicians talking about what Dale meant to them. Brooks & Dunn hosted, and they reminisced a bit about their friendship with Dale.

The race and the remembrances were the interesting parts, and I would like to have seen more of that. I think the other musicians' stuff was completely unnecessary, and interfered with the race viewing. It wasn't what I expected, and I was quite disappointed by it.

I've only gotten to see the first half of DALE (which I thought was great), and I'm hoping to see everything tonight when it's replayed again.

Re: Simpson logos blurred outSimpson at one time sued NASCAR for $8.5 million for implicating the Simpson lap belt Earnhardt wore that fatal day (after other investigations exculpated that lap belt, and also indicated that the belt had not been installed per the manufacturers specs). Suit was apparently settled out of court, but appears there is no love lost between Simpson and NASCAR (and this movie is a NASCAR Images production). Wonder whose requirement it was to hide the logos: Simpson, NASCAR, or Teresa? If you Google Earnhardt and Simpson together, you can find a lot of the history of this suit and the bitterness.